Golf-practicing device



Sept. 11, 1928.

c. H.,.puFFY ET AL GOLF r nAfd'ncme msvxcs Filed Oct. 1'7, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTORS Sept. 11, 1 928. 1,683,875

0. H. DUFFY ET AL GOLF PRACTICING DEVICE Filed Oct. 17, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS i I TTORNEY Patented Sept. 11, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES HUGH DUFFY AND EUGENE HUGH DUFFY, OF MIAMI, FLORIDA.

GOLF-PRACTICING DEVICE.

Application filed October 17, 1927.

This invention relates to the game of golf, but more particularly to a practicing device for perfecting players in the art of putting.

The invention has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensive golf practicing device for use by players in-doors, which simulates as closely as possible the conditions of actual play; to the end that players may be come more proficient in their putting by developing more perfect direct-ion and proper speed in their putting strokes.

A further object of the invention is to providesuch a golf practicing device which can be played by two persons with thepracticing device between them, in such manner that a competitive game can be played and'added interest thereby imparted to the practice; the device being arranged so that when a ball j is holed in the cup, said ball is delivered from the device and to one side thereof so as to be equally accessible to either or both of the practicing players.

With these objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction of the device, and particularly in the novel construe.-

tion employed for delivering the ball from the device after it has been holed therein. The invention further consists of certam other novel details of construction and ar- '30 rangemcnts of parts, all of which will be first fully describedand afterwards specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of the blank.

Fig. 2 is atop plan View of the device.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 33 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2, and v Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the device in playing position.

Like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several figures in which:

1 indicates the device and 2 is the blank therefor, which blank is preferably stamped out of a heavy card-board, though it is obvious that the same may be of sheet metal or other suitable material.

The formation of the blank is as shown in Fig. l, the same being ruled or perforated as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, and out along the full lines shown in said figure. These ruled or perforated linesindicate' the Serial No. 226,678.

lines on which the blank is to be bent in order to form the same into the device shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

To accomplish this, the blank is bent slightly along each of the radial dotted lines 3, 4, 5 and 6, and the dotted line 5 brought to register with the radial edge-7. This causes the perforations 8 near said edge 7 to register over the complemental perforations 9 near the radial line 5. Suitable fastenings 10 are then inserted through said registering perforations to securely hold the device in proper pyramidal formation.

the device to assume a square of pyramidal form, the four faces of which have an inclination of about degrees from the horizontal and -wh ich present straight lower edges 11 to rest evenly upon a floor, carpet or the like. I

Referring now to the top of this pyramidal formation, and particularly to Fig. 1, it will be seen that at the topof the face 12,

It i will be noted that the above operation causes there is a tongue 13 integral therewith and distinguished from the face 12 proper, the dotted line 14. It will also be seen that we prefer to supply on the underside of this tongue 13 and of the contiguous face 12, a piece of soft wire 15 crossing the perforated line 14 and preferably held in this position by a strip of adhesive paper or tape 15. This tongue 13 is bent downwardly onthe said dotted line 14 at approximately 45 degrees as shown, which operation puts a bend in said wire 15 to supply rigidity to the said tonguewhen the blank is of card-board or like material. When, however, the blank is of sheet metal or the like, the application of this and the other stiffening wires which will be presently referred to, will obviously be unnecessary. 7

Referring now to the faces 16 and 18 of the blank, it will beseen that opposed tongues 19 and 20 areconnectedto said faces, and are distinguished therefrom by the opposed dotted lines 21 and 22. And it will be seen that the underside of each tongue and its contiguous face is supplied with a piece of soft wire 23, each wire crossing its adjacent dotted line and extending under the face contiguous thereto. Each of these wires is preferably held in its position by a strip of adhesive paper or tape 23. I

byv

The tongues 20 and 21 are bent down wardly substantially vertically as shown in Fig. 4, which operation puts a sharp bend in each of said wires 23 to lend rigidity to the said tongues and to hold the same in proper operative position. V

Disposed in theta-cs 17 oi the blank, is an opening .Z l of su'fiicient width and height to permit a ball to pass through the same, as shown in the drawings.

Having thus described the several parts of the invention, its operation is as follows:

The blank having been bent and secured in the shape as shown in-the drawings, the device is placed upon a floor, carpet or the like and presents its two opposite inclined faces ltiand 18 :torplay. The balls A, when properly directed toward the device, passup either or both o-t the said inclined ia es: 1-:3 and 1L and drop into the cup in the top oi the pyramidal structure. The halls dropping upon the inclined tongue 13, are directed between the two vertically depending guiding tongues 19 and 20 and delivered out through the openin iQL in the face 17 of the device, in the manner as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, thus positioning the balls conveniently between two practicing players.

In order'to approximate the'conditions of actual play and to compensate for the unevenness ot an actual gelling green, the cup is preferably made smaller than the standard cup of agolt course, while the slope or inclineotf the pyramidal {faces retards-the progressot' the ball to the cup much in the same manner occurs in actual play; to the end that the same precision as to direction and speed of the ball has to be acquired to hole the ball in this device as is necessary under conditions of actual play.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, we prefer to'construct the inclined planes with their side edges unrestricted by any ball-guiding means, so as to permit the passage of balls over the edges ofsaid planes which not properly directed to the tcupl, and further to permit unobstructed passage of ballstothe cup whichare directed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the planes, so-that balls to be holedfido not have to be directly in line with the cup, but may be to either side'o'f the longitudinal axis of the device and may engage the planes at an angle to said longitudinal axis and still reach the cup without the aid or influence of any guiding ledges or walls along the edges of the inclined planes.

Having thus fully described the invention,

we 'do not wish to be understood as "limiting ourselves to the exact construction as shown and described, as the same is only illustrative and descriptive of the preferred embodiment of our invention, and we consider ourselves clearly entitledto all such changes and modifications as fall within the limit and scope of the appended claims.

teri al,

VJ hat we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A device of the character described including a pyramidal structure 0t sheet mathe tour faces of which pyramidal structure terminate to forma ,eup? at the top of the pyramidal structure, a tongue on one o lsaid faces and depressed within said cup to form an inclined plane, opposed tongues on 'the two faces contiguous to the first mentioned tongue, the opposed tongues being depressed within said cup on either side of the first mentioned tongue,;the face'of said pyramidal structure oppoiste to the first mentioned tongue being provided with an opening, the said opposed tongues cooperating with the first mentioned tongue to direct and guide aball from said cup:t-hrough the said opening in the last mentioned face ol the pyramidal structure.

2. A device of the-character described including a pryamidal structure of sheet material, the four faces of which pyramidal structure terminate to :Eorma cup at the top of the pyramidal structure, tongues on three contiguous facesof the pyramidalstructure, the central one of said tongues beingdepressed within thesaid cup -to form aninclinedplane, the other two of said tongues being depressed within said cup on either side of the first mentioned'tongue, means'for stiffening said tongues 'to retain the same in proper depressed position, the face of said pyramidal structure opposite to the first mentioned tongue being provided with an-opening, the three otsaid tongues cooperating-together to direct and guide a ball from said cup through the said opening in the last mentioned t'ace ofthel pyramidal structure.

3. As an article of manufacture of the character described,a pyramidalstructure of sheet material, the four faces of which are integral and shaped to form a cup at the top of the pyramidal structure, the said structure including" tongues integral with three contiguous faces of the pyramidal structure, the central one of which tongues *lies within the said cup in a downwardly inclined .direction, the other two of the said tongues lying within the 7 said cup on both sides of the central tongue, the face ofthe pyramidal structure opposite to the central tongue being provided with an opening, the said three tongues cooperating together to direct and guide a ball from said cripdthrough said opening in the face of the pyramidal structure. I i

4. As anarticle of manufacture of the character described, a'pyramidal structure or: sheet material, the .ifour faces ofwhich are integral and shaped to form a cup at the idal faces being provided a'tongue-distop'of the pyramidal structure, one of the r posed within the said cup? and lying in a downwardly inclined direction to deliver a ball from said cup through the said opening in the face of the pyramidal structure.

5. As an article of manufacture of the character described, a pyramidal structure of sheet material, the four faces of which are integral and shaped to form a cup? at the top of the pyramidal structure onesof the faces of the pyramidal structure being provided with an opening, and means within the said cup. to deliver a ball from said cup through the said opening in the said face of the pyramidal structure.

6. A device of the character described including a blank of sheet material bent to form two oppositely inclined planes, the upper ends of which are spaced to form a cup to receive balls passing over either of said planes, the side edges of said planes being un restricted to permit the passage of balls over said planes to said cup angular-1y to the longitudinal axis of said planes, and means within the device for delivering from the device, balls entering the said cup.

7. As an article of manufacture of the i character described, a pyramidal structure of sheet material shaped to form a cup at the top of the pyramidal structure, one of the faces of the pyramidal structure being provided with an opening, and means Within the said cup to deliver a ball from said cup through the said opening in the said face of the pyramidal structure.

8. A device of the character described including a blank of sheet material bent to form two oppositely inclined planes the upper ends of which are spaced to form a cup to receive balls passing over either of said planes the side edges of said planes being unrestricted by any means for guiding balls to said cup, to permit balls improperly directed at said cup to pass over said planes without entering said cup, the device being provided with an opening through which balls are delivered therefrom, and means within the device for delivering from the device balls entering the said cup.

In testimony whereof We afiix our signatures.

CHARLES HUGH DUFFY. EUGENE HUGH DUFFY. 

